How Christmas Trees Became a Holiday Tradition

• They were in present-day France and sold unadorned Christmas trees during the 17th century.
• The first decorated indoor tree was recorded in 1605, in Strasbourg, decorated with roses, apples, wafers and other sweets.
• Demand for Christmas trees grew so high in the 15th century that laws were passed in Strasbourg to prevent people from cutting pine branches.
• In the 1530s, the region of Alsace was limited to one tree per household.

• In 1805, Moravian missionaries in America sent their Indian pupils to fetch a small green tree for Christmas. Similar examples appear in the first half of the 19th century in the Midwest and further West.
• In 1848, an image appeared in the London News of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their children gathering around a Christmas tree, presents underneath the tree. The premier women's magazine in America reprinted a version of the image a few years later as "The Christmas Tree" which cemented the Christmas tree in the popular consciousness.

In 1964, TIME magazine showcased a new Christmas trend - polyvinyl trees that looked more realistic than ever before.

Fifty years later, artificial trees still dominate the Christmas tree industry. They have a lower environmental impact when transporting them to retail outlets are factored in. But some argue that real trees support local economies.